


through the enemy's eyes

by im_a_banana



Series: space-bois fam [4]
Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Alien Impostor(s) (Among Us), Crew as Family, Crewmate Black (Among Us), Crewmate Orange (Among Us), Impostor Green (Among Us), Impostor Red (Among Us), M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29227773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_a_banana/pseuds/im_a_banana
Summary: “What should I do about Orange?” Green asked Red, with half a mind to just repeatedly bang his head against the wall in genuine embarrassment. “I’m not good at this whole… human courtship thing.”Was is right to court a member of another species, not even from the same home planet?"Try to find out what Orange is passionate about. Humans adore to be wooed and coddled by a potential partner,” the Captain suggested, his coppery irises gleaming with mirth and wit. “Human courtship is not so different from approaching a prey, you know: it’s a delicate balance between closeness and distance. You must know when it’s time to approach, and most importantly when it’s time to fall back and allow the other some space.”Finding out what Orange was passionate about… well, only one way to find out, Green supposed with an anxious sigh: he would have to grow a pair and ask his unspoken questions to the person concerned.
Relationships: Black/Red (Among Us), Crewmate/Impostor (Among Us), Green/Orange (Among Us)
Series: space-bois fam [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047988
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	through the enemy's eyes

“Seriously guys, if _that_ ’s what y’all call a burpee,” Black commented, his arms folded, staring at the group of wheezing crewmates with the same disdain with which one would look at a cockroach crawling out the shower drain. “then I am the the Holy fucking Virgin Mary.”

Still trying desperately to catch her breath, White managed to scrape up the tiny amount of energy she had left to lift her head and snarl a retort, “Oh, sit on a dick, Black…!”

“Been there, done that. And I’d say ‘no, you’, but you couldn’t even bounce on it properly. Move that lazy brainiac-ass, White! High knees, com’on!” the black-haired man spurred, accompanying each word with a resonant clap of his hands and scrutinizing his exhausted trainees. “Yellow, pick up that pace! Are you MIRA’s astronauts, or old people on the run from their nursing home? If you can still talk, you can still work-out!”

Orange cast a desperate glance at Brown, almost snorting out loud as he noticed that his own weariness was, in fact, collectively shared. “I’m gonna die here. I’m seriously gonna die,” he blearily admitted, wincing at the stringing sensation of salty droplets of sweat running into his amber eyes.

“We’ve been… at it… for two hours… I can’t— anymore!” the two close friends heard Blue’s high-pitched gasp coming from behind them; the poor navigator sounded, more or less, two-seconds away from passing out on the hard, stone-cold floor.

Sensing the unanimous over-exhaustion, Red chose that moment to step forward from the wall he was leaning on and place a hand on Black’s shoulder, thick with muscle. “Black, I’d like to still have the members of my crew alive after your training session,” the Captain of the spaceship kindly prompted, staring with pity at the poor, breathless astronauts. Even Green— as stoic as a marble statue, on his best days— was pouring with perspiration, about to collapse. “My Vice-Captain too, if possible.”

Black considered Red’s words for a few seconds, looking from one purplish face to another, before letting out an exaggeratedly disappointed sound. “Talk about saved by the bell… or by the Captain, I guess. Fine, you sissies. That’s enough for today, go take a shower and grab some lunch,” he finally dismissed his colleagues, rolling his pitch-black eyes at the crew’s obvious relief. He turned to Red, “Someday I’ll convince you to pass the buck to Green and join one of my training sessions, Red. The stars forbid your crew gets the wrong idea that you’re a slacker,” he teased quietly, so that only the Captain could hear his words.

“That can be arranged,” Red immediately agreed, smirking with a not-so-concealed hint of suggestiveness in his voice. “Although I surely hope that _you_ do not think I’m a slacker, in no way whatsoever.”

The young trainer mirrored his superior’s cheeky expression, slipping a flirty wink into it, absolutely delighted by the fact that Red was getting bolder and bolder with each passing day. Since the two of them had started their… _thing_ , the red-haired astronaut had become much more affectionate and playful, even in public. “Oh, trust me Red, you’re far from it. Especially if you’re alluding to what I think you’re alluding to~”

“Brown,” Green’s deep voice, still worn out by fatigue, summoned the brown-clad astronaut. “I need some help in Storage to carry a couple of tanks of fuel to Reactor. It won’t take long, I just want to make sure that Orange finds everything ready for his daily tasks. I wouldn’t want him to overexert himself, given his recent recovery. Not… not that he needs some kind of special treatment, of course— but he should take it easy for a while,” the towering, 6’4 feet tall Vice-Captain made himself as small as possible without even realizing it the moment he found himself staring at Orange’s astonished face. “So, umh, that’s it. Let’s go. You can take a shower after.”

“Good thinking, Green,” Brown agreed, placidly following his superior after a brief farewell to Orange. “See you later at lunch, Orange!”

As Orange stared at the two men tiredly walking away in utter disbelief, Pink’s alluring snigger reverberated behind his ears. “Well, well, well, would you guys look at that? Looks like a certain someone’s managed to steal not only Brown’s heart, but even the Vice-Captain’s~”

The surprising energy with which Orange leapt in the air, even after all those hours of exercise, left everyone quite impressed. “W-what? W-what are you talking about? I didn’t, the rules—” he blabbed, just to be shushed by Pink’s index finger on his lips.

“Orange, please. Do you really think there’s anyone on this spaceship who actually cares about the rules? Com’on, just take a good look at those two,” Pink nodded in Red and Black’s direction with a knowing smirk, smelling the intimate complicity between the two men from a light-year away. “Mark my words, guys: Black and Red are _so_ banging each other.”

“Wait, what? They did? T-they are!?” Blue gasped, genuinely taken aback by the juicy gossip. Oh, the incurable lamb of the crew.

The pink-haired astronaut threw her arms up in the air, absolutely exasperated at her crewmates’ unawareness. “Oh my stars, of course they are! Are you lot blind? Black’s been sneaking out every night to see Red,” Pink explained, secretly eyeing her distracted black-suited best friend with mirth and resignation. “The dumbass thinks he’s some sneaky pro, but he’s as clumsy as a rhino on crack. Plus, it’s not like they’re being discreet about it…”

“Now that you mention it, yeah, Red and Black have been all over each other lately. Well— more than usual, at least,” Yellow pointed out, tapping his chin pensively for a few seconds. With a final shrug, he added, “and honestly, I wouldn’t put it past Black to pursue a secret relationship with the Captain.”

Of all of them, it was Orange who seemed the most dumbstruck, almost on an equal footing with the poor, blushing Blue. “I— I honestly had no idea about Red and Black, but… it still doesn’t matter. Green is different, you know how much he wants us to respect MIRA’s rules,” the astronaut muttered, ashamed of himself for sounding so down in the dumps and needy in front of his own colleagues. He was supposed to be a professional, not some sort of teenager with his first crush! “He probably doesn’t even know that I exist, I’m just a subordinate to him.”

“That is quite incorrect, if I may say so,” White softly interjected, her tranquil voice and inflexible composure silencing the chatting group, who stared at the doctor with a mixture of inquisitiveness, awe and respect. “Green is an extremely prideful man. He has a hard time showing his emotions, and that is perhaps his worst flaw. However, when you were confined to Medbay’s infirmary to heal, he came every single day to visit you while you were resting, and to ask me about your condition, over and over again. Also, the Vice-Captain seemed genuinely troubled by your absence during daily tasks and meals. Saddened, even.”

Pink contentedly slouched beside her earnest wife, pleasantly surprised to have White’s support and opinion on the matter, given the doctor’s reluctance to take part in their usual ‘playground gossip’. “Moral of the story, Green missed you, Orange! Just make a move, because seriously— if you wait for him to do so, we’ll make it in time to drive to the center of the Universe and back twice, with a coffee break and a card party in the middle,” she elaborated helpfully, staring at Orange with fierce anticipation as she raised her fist. “We’re all rooting for you, tough guy!”

Orange felt an immeasurable sense of gratitude towards his colleagues, whom he’d long since come to regard as friends, who never judged him no matter what. “Even if it’s against the rules?”

“You know what? Fuck the rules, dude. Fuck them. Now go get your man!” the pinkish woman declared with a solemnity that was definitely out of place, low hums of approval backing up her argument. “… but first, you should definitely take a shower. We all smell like goats.”

* * *

A warm cup of coffee, punctually placed in front of Red’s seat at the breakfast table, each and every morning; two sugar cubes and a splash of milk, just the way he liked it.

An unnecessary trip during their brief breaks— a daily habit for Red, at this point— from Navigation to wherever Black was assigned to work, just to get a chance to see his face and invite him to lunch in Cafeteria.

The way Red’s and Black’s bodies brushed gently as they walked side by side, or as they ate together, or as they snuggled up to each other in the secrecy of darkness, under a shared blanket, stargazing while everyone else slept.

The gentleness with which the Captain braided the human’s shorter, coarse jet-black hair, spending hours and hours just massaging his scalp and nape, reveling in Black’s satisfied hums and trustful limpness.

Even the jokes, Black’s stupid jokes— he was always so genuinely eager to tear a laugh from Red when he was particularly stressed, and from the whole crew in general.

_“Black is like… a glue. The glue of this crew. He’s what keeps everyone and everything happy and together when things get complicated,” Red had mused one day without a warning, as if the answer to Green’s question about why he felt so connected to that man had enlightened him, like an unexpected ray of sunshine after a storm. “He’s as steady as a rock. He would take the weight of his friends’ responsibilities on his own shoulders, and just hide his strain behind a big grin. I can’t imagine a crew without Black. I have lived many years without him, so far away from the human kind. But now— now, I just can’t imagine a life without him. Weird, isn’t it? How much a person can change, how much someone else can change you, and for the better.”_

There were only small gestures between the Impostor in disguise and the young trainer, the most insignificant little things, and yet they seemed like the most meaningful.

Some days, Green struggled to recognize any trace of an Impostor’s ruthlessness in Red; and the more he looked at his friend— and damn the stars, even at _himself!_ — the more he found himself staring at the being they were supposed to hate, to eradicate. Truth is, they were assimilating far too well into the group and into their fascinating ways of living, but Green didn’t mind it anymore.

Quite the contrary, Green was beginning to get used to mingle with humans, to like it even, from time to time. And talking about _delightful_ specimens, there was this cute astronaut dressed in orange and equipped with a pair of mesmerizing amber eyes, who surely was a sight to behold.

_“What should I do about Orange?” Green had asked Red, with half a mind to just bang his head against the wall in genuine embarrassment. If there was one thing the Vice-Captain positively despised, it was admitting his own ignorance or incapability to handle a situation. “I’m not good at this whole… human courtship thing.”_

Was is right to mate with a member of another species, not even from the same home planet? Well, Red did not seem to be as bothered as he was about that particular detail, judging by Black’s distintive stench on his skin.

_“Start with small acts of kindness. Spend time with him. Smile more, listen to him, eat with him, compliment him. Humans adore to be wooed and coddled by a potential partner. Try to find out what Orange is passionate about. Just,” the Captain had suggested, his coppery irises gleaming with mirth and wit. “don’t go overboard like you always do with… anything you do, pretty much. Human courtship is not so different from approaching a prey: it’s a delicate balance between closeness and distance. You must know when it’s time to approach, and most importantly when it’s time to fall back and allow the other some space. Just keep your cool.”_

Finding out what Orange was passionate about… well, Orange was a talented nuclear physicist, so he must’ve been pretty well-versed in calculations and stuff like that. Which was not saying much, to be honest. What was he passionate about?

There was only one way to find out, Green supposed with an anxious sigh: he would have to grow a pair and ask his unspoken questions to the person concerned.

* * *

The Cafeteria had plunged into an unnatural, reverent silence, interrupted only by chewing and munching, and still Red’s revolted gaze was speaking louder than any words. “My stars, you’re making me lose my appetite. Slow down, I hereby swear that nobody’s going to snatch away your rations,” he promised, wrinkling his nose comically as Brown spat out the piece of envelope he’d accidentally half-swallowed during his famished rampage.

“We’re starving, Captain Red! Black’s training session destroyed us,” Orange lamented between greedy morsels, ripping apart and gulping down tasteless bites of _something_ that vaguely resembled a beef steak. In appearance, at least.

No matter, as long as there was enough food to stuff their growling bellies with, the astronauts weren’t complaining. They were too hungry for that.

Black responded to his crewmates’ tacit accusations and resentful glares with an unconcerned shrug, calmly chewing on a chocolate protein bar with gusto. “Not my fault your lazy ass cannot handle a little bit of cardio, guys. What should I say, then? I train for about seven hours a day and here I am, as dignified as a fucking queen.”

“That’s literally what you’re paid for, your majesty. Cut us some slack, gym freak: _my_ job is keeping this spaceship from imploding,” Yellow stuck his tongue out at his coal-haired friend, smiling through painful calf cramps. “ _Yours_ , on the other end, is torturing us with endless rounds of push-ups and jumping-jacks, and just for the fun of it.”

Pink sluggishly nodded, or at least tried to, her face splattered on the shiny surface of the table in a rather pathetic way. “I agree with Yellow. You’re the worst bestie ever, Black.”

The dark-haired trainer shrugged once more. “Whatever. I still wanna see your lazy ass on time tomorrow morning, we still gotta do our weekly endurance training.”

A desperate chorus of sobs rose from the group of commensals, but no one else dared to object; knowing Black and his laudable dedication to his job, they’d only waste their breath. And only the stars knew how much they needed their breath to endure that physical and psychological torture.

“You and my older brother would get along just fine,” Orange casually said, picking up every single crumb of food left in his plate with a plastic fork. “He’s really into fitness and stuff like that, too. I bet he’d give you a rough time in close combat, Black!”

Brown lifted his head and grinned happily, clearly familiar with Orange’s older sibling. “Are you talking about Indigo? Man, I miss that guy! Can’t wait to drop by and say hi to him and the rest of the fam, after we complete this mission.”

_That’s your chance to know Orange better_ , a small voice in Green’s mind hissed insistently, backed up by Red’s sly glance. It was now or never, the topic had been brought up in such a spontaneous way; the Vice-Captain had to seize the opportunity. “You never mentioned your brother before, Orange,” he blurted out, definitely more brusquely than he intended.

Orange fixed the Vice-Captain with a gobsmacked look, his carefree smile stiffening like a tightrope. “Oh, Indigo? There… I’ve never had a chance to talk about him until now, actually,” the orange-clothed astronaut mumbled in a panicked attempt to justify himself, fidgeting nervously beneath his superior’s inscrutable stare. “And I didn’t think anyone would be interested in my family."

“Well,” Green’s voice rumbled like an engine, as he folded his sculpted arms to his broad chest and narrowed his sharp eyes, just as he always did when he was deep in thought. Keeping his cool and acting normal was the key, wasn’t it? “you thought wrong.”

Orange sprang to his feet as if he’d been electrocuted, his seat producing a grinding sound when it scratched against the spotless floor. “Yeah, I’m— I’m sorry Green, I gotta go for a minute or two,” the tiny human clumsily stammered, gradually retreating like some sort of cornered animal, until he reached the nearest exit of Cafeteria. Then, he stormed out of the room with a polite yelp, “I—I’ll be back.”

At least seven pairs of disappointed, criticizing eyes stabbed Green like a set of multi-colored blades, adding insult to the already painful injury.

“What,” Green demanded, secretly hoping for the floor to just swallow him up, end his misery and possibly make it quick. Should he just hop out of the spaceship, instead?

“Oh sorry, I think I choked on some second-hand embarrassment over here. Oof man, was that _bad_!” Black snorted, wiping his mouth with a napkin between his throaty laughs, unable to contain himself despite the punitive slap on the nape that White gave him. “It almost seemed like you were interrogating a murder suspect, and I’m not even exaggerating!”

Yellow casted Green a rather sympathetic look, but refused to sweeten the pot. “Yeah, that was a disaster, sir. With all due respect, but what in the Universe was that for? Were you trying to scold him, or scare him?”

“You should probably go apologize to Orange, Vice-Captain Green. And reassure him that you won’t maul him in his sleep,” Pink politely recommended, suddenly up and fully awake, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. “‘cause it kinda seemed like it, honestly…?”

As elegant and swift as a snow leopard, White leaned towards her superior and whispered a small advice, “Don’t worry. I know you meant well, Vice-Captain Green, and I’m sure Orange knows that too. If you wish to learn more about Orange’s family, you should calmly sit down and have a conversation with him. Without trying to pierce into his soul with that intimidating glance of yours, or else your sincere interest might easily be mistaken for rancor.”

Green considered White’s suggestion for a moment before listlessly getting up as well, mostly urged by his colleagues’ expecting stares— those traitors, as if his reluctancy to face Orange after his major screw-up wasn’t obvious enough! “If you’ll excuse me.”

“You’re most definitely excused. Go,” Red conceded, shaking his head with resignation and, most likely, barely refraining himself from calling the other Impostor a fucking moron out loud.

* * *

Green was angry.

No, scratch that, he was positively _fuming_ and to be fair, it was all Red’s fault. If it hadn’t been for that meteor-headed idiot’s nonsensical suggestions, the Vice-Captain would’ve avoided such an awful gaffe in front of his own crew. _“Who am I kidding? It’s my fault, of course. Red has far too much faith in my skills,”_ Green sighed heavily, turning a corner and suddenly slamming right into the one person he’d kinda been forced to search for.

“Oh! Green, you’re here! I was about to—”

“Orange, I found you! I just wanted to—”

The two astronauts fell quiet in unison, eyeing each other shyly, uncertain about what to do next. Luckily for both of them though, Orange was remarkably quick to put himself together. “It’s ok, Green. You go first,” he prompted, cracking a tiny encouraging smile.

The Vice-Captain blinked gratefully at the orange-clothed man, already feeling a bit more comfortable, since they were finally alone and without an undesired audience. “I wanted to apologize about earlier,” he begun, clearing his throat roughly. “My behavior was absolutely deplorable. However, I sincerely hope that you’re aware I have the utmost respect for you and your family; offending you is the last thing I was aiming for, Orange.”

“Oh… Wait, so _you_ thought that I— no, Green! You’ve got it all wrong, I know you meant no disrespect. Although you can be a little _frightful_ at times, that’s not why I ran off,” the far shorter crewmate assured, placing a reassuring hand on Green’s muscular shoulder in a rare moment of courage. With the other one, the nuclear physicist handed his superior a small leather book, “I needed to grab this.”

Puzzled, Green accepted the odd photograph album with unsuspected carefulness, which was in stark contrast with his impressive size. “ _Is it because he senses how much this object means to me?”_ Orange couldn’t help but wonder— damn, was he _that_ deluded?

“What is it?” the Vice-Captain inquired, his emerald eyes awaiting further instructions and barely concealing a glint of genuine curiosity and interest. It surely felt important, intimate. _“Orange trusts me.”_

The petite human tapped his index finger on the cover. “Pictures of my family, of my hometown. They’re pretty old and, not gonna lie, downright _embarrassing_ to look at, but… I wanted to show you, I wanted you to see them. We can sit down somewhere quieter and talk about it,” Orange explained with an agitated chuckle, struggling internally just to keep his head up as he felt his own cheeks burning with alarming heat. “Umh… o-only if you want to, of course! I don’t want to bore you.”

That so-called ‘communication’ was truly a challenge, and connecting with a human being was even harder. Words were definitely something to be careful with, a wrong one and you could irreparably hurt someone else’s feelings, or damage a relationship— but perhaps, they didn’t need words this time. Learning about Orange’s life through pictures, hearing his familiar and kind voice narrating and sharing his story… yeah, the disguised Impostor could definitely work with that. Words were overrated, anyway.

“I’d like that,” Green replied, surprised by the genuineness in his own voice.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, I managed to finish this!  
> Sorry for the long wait, but university is kicking my butt and I had to study a lot ;3;  
> I hope you liked this fourth part, however. About time I wrote something more about Green/Orange (aka the two absolute disasters who suck at feelings, and are the definition of a slow-burn)
> 
> As always, your kudos and especially lovely reviews are my energy juice, and I love reading your thoughts about these space bois :>
> 
> Author's note: You don't even know how absolutely intimidating Green looks in my mind, he's like 6'4 feet tall, while Orange is this 5'2 feet tall bean, lmao.


End file.
